Deficiencies in Kitchen Sanitation, Food Storage, and Temperature Monitoring
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified multiple deficiencies in the facility's food service operations, including unsanitary conditions and improper food handling practices. During an initial kitchen tour, observations included a broken ceiling light lens, rusty and dirty dish machine table legs, missing floor tiles exposing untreated cement, and food debris and dirt on the kitchen and dry storage floors. Additionally, a chemical hose was found hanging into a sink, a bus bucket was collecting drain water under a vegetable sink, and a standing floor mixer had dried residue. Dishes and cups were found wet stacked and stained, and several food items in dry storage, the walk-in refrigerator, and the walk-in freezer were not properly labeled or dated. Further deficiencies were noted with expired food items, as a container of thickened orange juice was found on a unit service cart ten days past its best use by date. Staff interviews confirmed the presence and use of these expired and improperly stored items. The facility's policies require proper dating, labeling, and storage of food, as well as regular monitoring and documentation of dish machine and refrigerator/freezer temperatures to ensure food safety, but these procedures were not consistently followed. A review of temperature monitoring logs revealed significant gaps in documentation for both dish machine and refrigerator/freezer temperatures across multiple units and months. No documentation was provided for certain months, and numerous dates were missing for others. The administrator confirmed the lack of monitoring and documentation, as well as the other observed deficiencies in food storage, cleanliness, and equipment maintenance.